A Hole In The Heart
by BilkyFizzleweisIII
Summary: It seems as though whenever one of them is dying, the other finds the strength to say, 'I love you.'
1. Chapter 1

**Alright so this is my first fan fiction ever. I hope I didn't make Castle and Beckett too OOC. Please review and tell me what you think. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.**

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**Chapter 1: A Hole in the Heart**

The small, silver bullet tore through Castle's chest, ripping his skin apart. The impact sent him falling backwards as the bullet sailed out behind him, disappearing into the grass. He was on the ground a few seconds after it, the pain hitting him as hard as the bullet did.

The blood quickly started to pour out of the wound, staining his clean white shirt a dark, crimson red. He gasped when the pain became more intense, making him wonder if he had been shot again, but then a blurry figure came into view and he realized what was going on.

Beckett hovered over him, one hand on his chest, pressing down hard; the other was holding a communication device to her mouth.

"Ryan..." That's the only part Castle could make out. She was talking too fast, her words jumbled together, making him wonder if Ryan would even get the message.

Beckett set the device beside her and used her now free hand to increase the pressure. Blood welled up between her hands. Castle cringed.

Chilling memories came to Beckett as she looked over Castle; she could remember everything so clearly.

She remembered how it felt when the bullet hit her. She could feel the pain, the life leaving her body. She could hear Castle saying that he loved her.

She shivered, shaking the haunting thoughts away. Castle was her focus right now. She needed to keep him alive.

"Castle," Beckett managed to keep her voice calm. "Hey, look at me."

His normally playful, arrogant blue-gray eyes flickered over to her. She sucked in a breath, watching as they became lifeless and cold. Richard Castle was sitting on the fine line between life and death.

"Richard Castle, don't you dare close your eyes!"

The corners of Castle's lips tugged up to form a small smile. "I won't. I still have to finish Ni-Nikki Heat."

She smiled as tears fogged her eyes. "Castle, you're one tough, smug-"

"Beckett!" A pained gasp sounded. "It hurts."

"Sorry," she sniffed.

For the first time, in a long time, Kate Beckett felt utterly helpless. She watched as his breath slowed, becoming shallower and shallower. A terrifying image played into Beckett's head. She saw herself standing in front of two tombstones, one reading Johanna Beckett, the other Richard Castle.

_No. _She thought. _That won't happen. Castle can't die._

"Castle, um," Beckett needed to keep him talking. "How's Alexis?"

His lips moved, but barely any sound came out. "Alexis…"

"Please Castle!"

"Fine…" His voice trailed off as his eyes fluttered shut. She was losing him.

"Castle, I love you." She didn't know where it came from, but she finally got it out and just like him; she had said it when one of them was dying.

"Kate," he whispered quietly, barely audible to anyone who wasn't listening.

She grabbed her partner's hand. "I'm here."

The last thing he heard before he was completely consumed into the deep sea of black was the sound of wailing sirens.


	2. The Aching in the Chest

**Alright so, I've decided to continue on with the story. Please review and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.**

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**Chapter 2: The Aching in the Chest**

_Beep…beep…beep..._

Beckett sat by Castle's bedside, her hand squeezing his. She looked him over, carefully, noting how pale he looked.

Beckett closed her eyes and listened to Castle's soft, rhythmic heartbeat. She wondered if this was what Castle felt like when he sat by her hospital bed. In that second, she decided that's exactly what Castle felt. Hurt and scared.

He made it through the night with only a thirty percent chance of living. Still, the odds were not in his favor. The doctor had said they lost him twice and even if he did make it through the first night, there was still a large chance that he might not make it.

"Hey Kate," a familiar voice sounded behind her. "How's he doing?"

Beckett didn't turn around. "They lost him twice."

The person walked up behind her, and gave Beckett a reassuring squeeze on the shoulders. "He made it through the night."

Beckett bit her lip, "it still doesn't look good, Lanie."

Lanie sighed, and sat in the chair Ryan had pulled up when he visited earlier. "He's a fighter."

Kate ran a hand through her hair, pushing her messy brown locks out of her face, "yeah."

Lanie looked at Castle, then over at Beckett. She remembered when it was Castle she was sitting by and Beckett lying in the hospital bed, fighting for her life.

Beckett looked at Lanie, her brown eyes wide. "Have there been any new leads on the case?"

The medical examiner shook her head. "No, but we'll find something."

Beckett rubbed her tired eyes, then rested her face in her hands. "What if it's like my mom's case?"

"Kate, everyone's working their butts off. We'll nail whoever did this." Lanie tried her best to comfort her friend. "How did it go with Alexis and Martha?"

"Okay."

Okay was a bit of an understatement. Alexis screamed at Beckett, asking why she didn't try to take the bullet like he did for her before. Then, she broke down, sobbing in Beckett's arms. Martha just stood over her son, holding his hand, whispering comforting words. Beckett offered them the room, and they took it for the night, allowing her to go home and freshen up. They left the next day after seeing no improvement.

Beckett swallowed. "Lanie, what if it's the same person who shot me? What if they're trying to pick us off?"

Lanie narrowed her eyes, seriously considering Beckett's inquiry. "That makes sense. It seems whenever we start to get close, something like," she gestured to Castle, "this happens."

Beckett nodded, "can you give the information to Esposito and Ryan? Maybe they'll be able to get something out of it?"

Lanie smiled, "sure."

The friends shared a silent moment and just listened to the humming monitors and Castle's slow, deep breathing.

* * *

It was pitch black; the kind that your eyes can't adjust to no matter how much you try. Castle was stuck in the middle of the never ending abyss, unable to move.

No matter how hard he tried, it was like every muscle was disconnected from his mind. He couldn't twitch his finger or even scrunch his nose. The oppressing darkness made him want to run away, it was suffocating him.

It was quiet, he couldn't even hear himself breath. The silence only added onto his hypothesize he'd been formulating.

He'd been shot, straight through the chest. He made it to the hospital and died on the operating table. Right now he had to be in limbo, because obviously this wasn't heaven or hell.

His heart ached. His daughter and mother, two of the most important people in his life, he wouldn't be able to see them again. That saddened him more than anything.

_Beckett told me she loved me though, _he silently mused, _what a good way to die. _

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

The silence was shattered, shocking Castle. He felt the darkness lift up a little, allowing him to breath. Then, Castle felt some feeling go back into his fingers, allowing him to ever so slightly move them. The beeping started to get louder.

Maybe he wasn't dead. He'd be able to see his family.

The beeping continued to increase, making Castle want to cover his ears. At first it was a good omen, telling him he wasn't done on earth yet. Now, however…

It was just getting louder, Castle wanted to scream. It was too intense, he wanted it to stop, he-

His eyes shot open, meeting the blurry world. He moved his fingers and scrunched his nose and rolled his ankles. He could move again.

"Castle?"

He looked over, and although his eyes were still getting used to actually being able to see again, he could tell who it was.

"Hey, Beckett."


	3. The Evil in the Silence

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and just read the story! It means a lot to me! This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I cut it short. Honestly, next chapter is probably going to be my favorite out of all of them. Please enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.**

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**Chapter 3: The Evil in the Silence**

She stared at him in disbelief. She'd sat by his bedside for three days, watching him as he made no improvement. But now, he was looking at her with tired eyes, a small smile on his face.

"Castle," she whispered, still trying to take comprehend that he was in fact alive. She hadn't prepared herself for him waking up. "How do you feel?"

Castle rested his head to the side, "like I've been shot."

She nodded her head, understanding. "You were out for three days."

Castle shifted uncomfortably when the room became quiet. 'Limbo' had left him with fear of being in it. Silence used to be something he enjoyed. He was able to clear his head without any interruptions. It allowed him to write without his thoughts straying. Now, it just felt oppressing, suffocating. He found it hard to breathe.

"Um, Beckett," he needed to get rid of the silence. "How bad was it?"

She sighed, absentmindedly tracing circles on Castle's hand. "It just missed your heart."

Castle nodded. The silence was back.

He thought back to the night he was shot, it was blurry. He, however, could clearly remember the pain and Beckett telling him she loved him.

Beckett told him she loved him. But he was dying when she did. Could that mean…

"Beckett, when you told me you loved me, were you just saying it because I was dying?" Castle's voice and eyes were filled with a vulnerability Beckett had never seen him display before.

This shocked Beckett. Had she really just said it in order to keep him here? It made sense; she was desperate when she said it. Then again, she could have told him anything else.

His face, for the first time since she knew him, was unguarded. He always kept a mask of smugness and arrogance tied tightly around it. Seeing him without the mask made her realize how close she actually was to losing him.

In that moment, Kate Beckett decided that she really did love Richard Castle.

She squeezed his hand and leaned over. Gently, she brought her lips to his forehead and gave him a chaste kiss.

"No, Castle," she murmured, lifting her head. "I said it because, I love you."

He grinned. "That's good."

Beckett squeezed his hand one more and stood up. Castle raised an eyebrow.

"I have to go tell the doctor you woke up." She said softly.

Castle nodded and Beckett headed out the door.

He was left in the silence.

* * *

Thankfully, Beckett didn't have to search long and hard for Dr. Turner. He was in the hall over, talking to a nurse.

She walked up behind him and interrupted his conversation.

"Dr. Turner?"

He turned around. "Hello, Ms. Beckett. Is something wrong?"

Beckett shook her head. "The opposite. Castle woke up."

Dr. Turner smiled. "He's strong. Most people with an injury like that don't make it."

"Well, Castle's not normal. At all."

With that, they headed back to Castle's room. He paged a few nurses, who to Beckett's dismay told her she had to stand outside while they took his vitals.

She took this moment to call Alexis and Martha. They needed to be able to stop worrying. They needed to know he was alright.

She dialed the all too familiar house number. The phone rang a few times, before someone picked up.

"Kate?" The person yawned. Beckett hadn't realized how late it was. "What happened?"

"Your dad's up."

There was a gasp on the other end of the line and Alexis's sleepy state was gone. "Is he okay? He doesn't have amnesia or anything like that, does he?"

Beckett couldn't help but chuckle. "No, he's fine, but he probably wants to see you."

"We're on our way."

She hung up and Beckett slid the cell phone back in her pocket. The nurses started to file out of Castle's room. Dr. Turner was the last out. He pulled Beckett aside.

"He seems to be doing well, more so than I expected, but he's going to be experiencing some pain."

Beckett nodded. "Understandable."

"So, when we give him the pain medication, I wanted to warn you. He's going to be spacy and delirious."

Beckett groaned, remembering how the medication made her feel. She was surely in for a treat with Castle.

_Dr. Turner to front desk._

The older man smiled at Beckett. "That's my cue. I'll be back later to check on him."

Beckett sighed. She realized that Alexis and Martha would be close now and that they'd probably want to be alone with Castle. She stuck her head in the hospital room.

"Hey Castle; your mom and Alexis are on their way. I'm going to go home and freshen up."

Castle smirked. "I personally think this not bathing thing is pretty awesome."

She rolled her eyes. "See you in a little bit, Castle."

* * *

Minus the beeping monitors, the room was silent. It was dark and deadly, striking fear into everyone it surrounded, namely Castle.

Castle took in a deep, shaky breath and closed his eyes, trying to relax. He quickly opened them back up. It was really dark behind your eyelids. Limbo dark.

Castle tried to distract himself by drawing his thoughts to Beckett. He brought a hand to his forehead and gingerly touched where Beckett kissed. Beckett told him she meant it. So why was there this lingering doubt in his mind?

The door swung open, startling him. He was pulled out of his thoughts when a teenage girl rushed in, throwing herself onto Castle. She hugged him tightly, aggravating his wound. He let out a small, pained gasp, before wrapping his arms around the girl crying into his chest.

"Dad," she sobbed. "I thought we lost you."

He rubbed his he daughter's back, trying to sooth her. "Hey kiddo, you know I'm not that easy of a person to get rid of."

Martha walked into the room, making it obvious that Alexis must have sprinted through the hospital to get to the ICU. She took Beckett's seat and grabbed Castle's hand.

"Richard, you scared us."

He bowed his head onto his daughters. "I know."

Alexis lifted her head and looked at her father with teary eyes. "You're wearing your writers vest wherever you go from now on."

Martha nodded, agreeing with Alexis. "That's right Richard. You better wear that thing like your life depends on it."

Castle smiled and squeezed his mother's hand. "You know, I might take that into serious consideration."

They all laughed. The aching he felt in Limbo about not seeing his family disappeared. The only pain left was that of his wound and he could deal with that. The silence was gone and Castle got to be with his family.

At that moment, those were the only things that mattered to him.


	4. The Night in the Mare

**You guys are amazing.**

**Thank you all for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favorites! Just to let you know, this chapter is probably my favorite so far. I hope you remember the episode I got the idea for the beginning from! Truthfully, it's one of my favorite exchanges from the show. **

** Please enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle, or the Wizard of Oz.**

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**Chapter 4: The Night in the Mare**

"Boyo."

"No, boyo. You have to draw out the oi."

"Boyo."

"No, it's more like boi-yo."

Ryan groaned. "Castle, you've been trying to get me to say it right since the Blue Butterfly case. I don't think I'm going to get it."

Castle smirked. "Oh come on, Ryan. Be a good sport."

"I am being a good sport," he muttered. "You're just being an annoying one."

"Oh haha," Castle laughed sarcastically. "You'd be really cool if you said it right."

"I don't give into peer pressure so easily."

"At least I can pronounce boyo."

Ryan crossed his arms and relaxed back in his chair. "At least I don't get myself shot."

"Ow," Castle feigned hurt. "That stung, Ryan."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Did I hurt your feelings?"

He pushed out his bottom lip, pouting like a child. "Yes!"

Ryan grinned evilly. "Good, boyo."

"You're still saying it wrong." Castle pointed out. Ryan sighed in exasperation.

"Shut up."

Ryan chuckled. It was his turn to visit Castle and so far, I'd been quite amusing. Castle had been trying to get him to say that ridiculous word ever since he'd sat down.

"The precincts lonely without you," that was an understatement. Ever since Castle had been shot, it felt as though a large part of it had been missing.

"I bet!" Castle exclaimed. "I mean, who's going to add good prose to your daily lives?"

"Again, shut up."

It was good to have Castle back.

* * *

"Beckett the room's spinning. Are we in a twister? I don't think we're gonna be in Kansas anymore."

Beckett groaned. That was the pain medicine talking. After everyone left, Castle had found all the hugs to aggravate his chest. The doctor saw this a good time to give him the pain medication.

When Beckett heard delirious, she thought that he'd mutter some incoherent things before it made him fall asleep. That's how it made her feel anyway.

That was not the case.

Castle, to put it in blatant terms, was high.

"Hey, Beckett, what are you going to ask the Wizard of Oz for?" He stared at her with large, dilated eyes.

She rested her head in her hand. "For you to shut up."

He giggled. "You sound like Ryan. I'm going to ask for…Ryan to be able to say boyo."

Beckett raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Castle grinned widely. "Because he can't say it! He always says boyo! It's supposed to be boyo!"

Beckett sighed. "You should get some sleep. By the time you wake up, we'll be in Oz."

"But, I want to be up when we arrive." Castle's eyes reminded her of a child on their way to Disneyland.

"Don't worry, I'll wake you up." Beckett promised.

"But-"

"Sleep."

Castle snuggled up against the pillow in defeat. "Alright I'm counting on you. But, if you get kidnapped by the Wicked Witch of the West, it's your fault."

Soon enough, Castle's breath evened out and fell into a steady rhythm. Beckett collapsed back in her chair, exhausted. She blew a piece of hair out of her face and relaxed. If she was going to deal with a hospital ridden Castle, then she'd have to get some sleep as well.

She closed her eyes, letting the tiredness take over. Soon enough, her breath fell into an even pattern with Castle's.

* * *

_…the night was filled with humor as two people walked down the street. Their loud laughs echoed, adding a certain charm to the atmosphere._

_"And then I tried to climb out the window!"_

_Beckett rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't surprise me in the least if you actually did."_

_ "The fall was a lot higher than I expected. I fell a story and broke my arm." Castle smiled when Beckett smacked her forehead and shook her head in a playful way. She laced her hands through his._

_"Only you, Castle, only you."_

_They both laughed again and Castle pulled Beckett close. He kissed her forehead._

_She pushed him and suddenly, Castle felt as though he couldn't stand. He fell to the ground, his head smacking against the cement pavement. His vision wavered for a second._

_Castle laid there for a minute and wondered why Beckett hadn't helped him. He lifted his head and realized that she wasn't there. He pushed himself off the ground, standing up. _

_"What the hell?" This wasn't the street he was on before._

_He turned around; trying to understand what was going on. He froze when he saw someone._

_A tall man stood in front of him, a mask covering his face. A gun was slung carelessly over his shoulders. The air grew thick and the atmosphere became full of fear._

_Before he could even register what was happening, a shot rang through the night. Castle looked down and gasped when he saw that the bullet had hit in the exact same place as before…_

* * *

Castle sat up, gasping and panting, his mind was cloudy and his body was covered in a cold sweat. His hand moved to his chest and Castle sighed in relief when he realized that the place he'd been shot was wrapped tightly.

_It was a dream,_ Castle tried to calm his frantically beating heart. _It was just a dream._

Castle looked over to Beckett, who was sleeping soundly in the chair. Her breath was coupled with the beeping monitors, soothing him. At least it wasn't completely quiet.

He frowned and pulled his covers over him, shivering. He couldn't wait to get out of the hospital. It was always too cold and too quiet.

He shivered again. _Just like Limbo._

He wanted to forget that place, but it was all too vivid. Just like the dream he just had. It wouldn't go away. No matter how much he willed it, the memory stayed glued to his mind.

He probably sounded like a child. But, then again, that place made him think he was dead. That place wouldn't let him move or hear. That place wouldn't let him see.

He stopped himself. He couldn't, _wouldn't _let fear get the best of him. So, in an effort to calm himself, he thought about something to write.

_The night was still, freezing. The air around him just chilled him more. This was the place the note said to meet at. He just hoped he wasn't going to get in too much trouble._

Castle sighed in frustration. It wasn't helping.

He balled his hands into fists, not caring if fear got the best of him. He didn't care if he sounded like a kid.

He was scared.


	5. The Little Soldiers in the Big Storm

**Hello!**

**I just want to tell everyone that, although this is a Caskett story, the pairing isn't going to be focused on till the end. I find that Castle's family and friends play a very large role in the show, so they will in the story as well.**

**Do not fret! There will be many moments between the pair! There just won't be an entire chapter dedicated to their love. **

**Another important thing: I'm not going to be updating for the next few days. The reason for my absence is because I'm going on vacation! Super excited! I get to go to the beach for the first time!**

** I'll be thinking about the story and as soon as I get back, I'll write what I can and get it posted as quickly as possible. I already have the beginning written out and all I need to do is figure out the rest.**

**Enough of my rambling! I give you Chapter 5! Enjoy everyone and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle**

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**Chapter 5: The Little Soldiers in the Big Storm**

Javier Esposito had always hated rain.

He found it to be annoying. When it rained everything got wet. It turned perfectly good dirt into mud. He didn't care if rain was essential to life. Esposito just didn't like it.

Today wasn't any different.

He drove away from the crime scene, frustrated beyond belief. It was already hard enough to find any leads and the rain was making it all the more difficult.

Esposito gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying his best not to hit something. His best friend had been shot and the stupid rain was washing away evidence.

Buildings whizzed past him as rain smacked against his windshield. His window wipers scraped furiously against the glass, trying to get rid of the burden.

The rain wouldn't give up. It pounded down, each raindrop a soldier. They fought hard against the wipers, clinging onto the window with their life, trying to block Esposito's view of the road.

One solid piece of evidence was all they needed. But, the only thing they could tell that it was most likely related to Beckett and that it was a large range shot. Of course it had to start pouring.

"Damn rain," Esposito muttered. "Always getting in the way."

* * *

"Hey." Esposito stepped into the hospital room, taking in the all too familiar scenery. It was almost identical to the room Beckett was kept in.

Castle smirked. "Look who decided to visit me."

Esposito took the seat next to Beckett and rolled his eyes. "I've been busy with the case."

"Any new leads?" Beckett asked.

He shook his head. "All we know is that it's connected to you and that it was a long range shot."

Beckett slumped into her chair and huffed. "That doesn't help."

"Now, now," Castle butted in. "If it was a long range shot, then the person might have been a sniper."

Esposito nodded. "It was a clean shot, but it didn't hit it the heart, so maybe someone who wasn't a sniper for too long?"

Beckett leaned forward. "I'm going to guess a male in his thirties. He'd have some experience."

"Do you know the angle he shot from?"

They looked at Castle. "Yeah. We think we know the building he shot from too, but it's really just a guess."

"We're the windows in the building set higher?"

Esposito ran a hand over his face. "What are you getting at, Castle?"

"By the windows height, we can tell if the shooter was tall or not."

"That does make sense," Beckett chipped in. "Esposito, did you have trouble looking in?"

He gave a slight nod. "So we can say the guy was taller."

"Javi, I want you to go down to the precinct and run a search for anyone who fits the description." Beckett motioned towards the door, "now."

He stood up and patted Castle on the shoulder before taking leave. "We'll catch him."

_It would narrow the suspect pool , _Esposito thought. _But not by much._

Esposito opened the hospital door and stepped back out into the rain.

* * *

"Hey dad, you got an ace?"

"Go fish."

Alexis sat by her father's hospital bed, cards stacked neatly in a pile before them. She picked a card out of the deck and sighed when it wasn't the one she wanted.

"Alexis, do you have a four?"

Alexis took the two cards out of her deal and threw them at Castle. He smiled, setting down four cards, revealing another book.

"You're cheating." Alexis huffed.

Castle feigned shock. "What? Me? Alexis, how could you ever think that?"

Alexis put her finger to her chin, pretending to think thoughtfully. "Maybe it's because you always win."

"I'm just a great player."

Alexis laughed and Castle joined in with her. Soon, the laughing dimmed and the room grew quiet. Castle shifted around, unsettled.

"Dad, are you going back to the precinct?" All traces of Alexis's humor disappeared.

Castle nodded. "I need to find who did this to me and Beckett."

Alexis tossed her cards and stood up, fuming. "Dad, you can't go back! What if they try and kill you again? Huh? What would happen if they actually succeeded?"

Castle sighed. He knew he was going to have to deal with this sooner or later.

"Alexis-"

"No dad! I worry every time you go into the field!" She started to pace back and forth. "You put your life at risk just to shadow someone!"

"But Beckett inspired me to write Nikki Heat." Castle tried to reason.

"I don't care about Nikki Heat! I care about you, dad!" Alexis balled her hands into fists. "I thought Beckett was supposed to be a muse! But now you act as though you're an actual police officer!"

"Alexis look at me."

She glared at him impatiently.

"Chances are, it wasn't me they were after," he'd say anything to comfort his daughter. "If Ryan or Esposito had been there, they might have been the ones shot."

"So it's Beckett's fault?" She spat.

Castle shook his head. "No. Beckett couldn't have helped it either way."

She sat back down. "I don't want to lose you."

"I said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not that easy of a person to kill."

"It doesn't matter what you think dad. They lost you twice on the operating table."

Castle stared at Alexis, his eyebrows drawing together. "What?"

Alexis stared at him. "You didn't know?"

"No," he muttered.

"See dad? You might think you're hard to kill, but you died twice."

"I pulled through."

"What if you hadn't?"

Castle never really gave that thought. What if he hadn't pulled through? He would have been leaving his family, alone. Sure, he had enough money saved that Alexis and his mother wouldn't have to worry about bills, but they still wouldn't be able to see their son and father.

"I did though, Alexis. We could go all day with ifs. What if a giraffe ran through the hospital while I was in surgery? What if all the operating instruments disappeared?"

"Dad."

"What if I managed to give myself surgery? What if Ryan could say boyo?"

"Dad!"

"What?"

Alexis smiled and gathered her cards. "You got any queens?"

Castle smirked. "Go fish."


	6. The Dragon in the Lair

**Hello!**

**I'm back everyone! And with a new chapter! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! And please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Dragon in the Lair**

When Beckett was little, her mom told her not to be afraid of dragons. She would tell her that they could only do so much evil until a brave knight came and slayed the horrible beast.

It wasn't until her mother's case went cold that Beckett realized not all dragons could be stopped. No matter how brave the knight, no matter how strong the sword, unless you had evidence, those things were irrelevant.

That was the problem in Castle's case. There were plenty of brave knights at the precinct, but the complete lack of evidence disabled them. She could practically see the dragon, sitting in his lair, snickering at the futile attempts the knights made to find it.

She remembered a story her mom told her. The Queen had bought a goat, planning to eat it. However, when she realized how truly entertaining it could be, she decided to keep it as a pet. One day a dragon came and tried to kill the goat. The knights were able to fight it off, but the goat was left wounded.

Then, a shocking realization hit Beckett.

Castle was a goat.

* * *

His hand rested on hers gently, the same way you would put your hand on a rose in order to pick it. You had to be careful of the prickly thorns and maneuver through them to get the beautiful, yet fragile flower.

And that's exactly what it was like to love Kate Beckett.

"Castle," her fingers absentmindedly traced his. "The suspect pool only got narrowed down to about two hundred people."

He shrugged. "It's better than a million."

She leaned back. "It's not good enough."

Castle stared into her deep hazel eyes, contemplating what to say.

"Kate, we've solved a case with less."

Beckett looked at Castle, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing. She couldn't believe he just said that. Castle brought a finger to her lips and pushed it against it, stopping its movement.

"Let's just wait and see if they turn up with more evidence."

She pulled away from him. "No, Castle. This man shot you. This may have been the person who shot me. This isn't any other case. We always had some sort of evidence."

"We do." He tried to reason. Castle wanted Beckett to stop worrying. He saw what it was doing to her. He'd wake up in the early morning to find Kate going over files. The dark bags under her eyes didn't go unnoticed either.

Beckett huffed and stood up, "that the person might have been tall? Sorry to tell you, but there's a lot of tall people in New York."

"It still helps a little.

She glared at him. "I don't think you understand-"

"No," he cut her off. "I got shot. I think I understand."

She shook her head. "It's not that easy."

He nodded. "For me it is."

Beckett ran a hand through her hair, frustrated beyond belief. "So you just want to what until evidence shows up?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I never said that."

She ignored him. "It doesn't do that."

"I know, it's just-"

She folded her arms, "just what?"

"I don't want you hurting yourself."

She gave him a look. "What are you talking about?"

He gave an exasperated sigh. "You haven't been getting nearly enough sleep or food."

"I want to solve this case, Castle!" Beckett raised her voice. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

With that she turned around and walked towards the door, her heels clicking against the floor.

"Where are you going?" Castle called out from behind her.

She answered as she slammed the door, "to find answers."

* * *

Beckett drove past the building the shooter supposedly shot from. During her drive and when she was fuming, a thought occurred to her. The building had been completely surveyed for evidence, but the building beside it hadn't been touched. Besides, the building she was about to look into was about to be demolished, giving the shooter a way to destroy any evidence

She parked and slid out of her car, noting how ominous the towering building looked. Beckett opened the door and walked through it, coughing as dust rose from the floor of the abandoned building.

She looked towards the stairs and started to make her way up to the seventeenth floor. She believed the floor the sniper shot from was correctly calculated, just not the building.

As she walked up the stairs, Beckett put her gloves on, careful not to destroy any evidence. She also pulled some bags out of her pocket, just in case she found something.

When she finally reached the top of the stairs, she took a deep breath, ready to be entirely focused on looking some sort of evidence.

The first thing she noticed was that the windows were high.

_That's a good sign, _she thought. _At least we got that right._

Then, she looked closer and noticed something that marred the brown floor. She kneeled down in order to get a better look and discovered that they were little red paint-like chippings. Quickly, she took out the tweezers and picked them up, putting them in the bag.

She looked around for about another hour and when she couldn't find anything, left. She needed to get the chippings to the lab. Maybe this small piece of evidence could shed some light on this case.

Hopefully.

* * *

"Nail Polish."

Esposito threw the bag down on Beckett's desk, making her look up from the case file.

"Nail Polish?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded and sat on the edge of her desk. "That's what the results said."

Beckett stared at him. "That's odd."

"Yeah, especially since many guys don't wear nail polish."

Beckett thought for a moment, going over the many possibilities. "Women do."

"That's far from what we profiled."

Beckett nodded. "Yeah, but the nail polish tells otherwise. Let's run a quick search for tall women in their thirties who have served in the army."

He got up from her desk. "Will do."

She smiled and looked back down at the case file. If she hadn't of left and looked for evidence, she might have not found this.

She just proved that goat wrong.

* * *

A woman sat in her living room, flipping through channels. When a news channel came, she stopped and turned up the volume.

"The person who shot Richard Castle is thought to be a tall man in his thirties, most likely served in the army. The NYPD has yet to release any information."

The woman smirked and picked at her red nail polish.

The police department was far off from what she was.

She was now positive they wouldn't catch her.


	7. The Dragon in the Interrogation Room

**Hello Everyone!**

**So, it's finally up. The last chapter of "A Hole in the Heart." I'm thankful to all who read, favorited, followed, and reviewed. It means a lot to me!**

**So here it is, the final chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.**

* * *

"Amelia Smith."

Esposito threw the file on Beckett's cluttered desk, Beckett looked up from the paper she was reading and raised an eyebrow.

"Amelia Smith?" Beckett questioned, "why does that name sound familiar?"

"Do you remember Kyle Smith?"

Beckett nodded, "the man who killed three people?"

Esposito crossed his arms and sat on the end of Beckett's desk. "She's his wife."

It hit Beckett like a load of bricks. She remembered during the case that the wife was cleared of any suspicion because she was serving in the army at the time. She grabbed the case file.

"She was a sniper?" Beckett read.

"Yeah, and get this, her husband was killed in prison two weeks before Castle was shot."

Beckett looked up at Esposito, the faintest smile on her face. "Bring her in."

Esposito smirked, "will do."

* * *

Beckett stared through the one way glass, looking at the woman sitting in the small interrogation room. Amelia picked at her red nail polish, a small smile on her face.

Beckett balled her hands into fists. She was beyond angry. This woman probably shot Castle and here she was, sitting in the interrogation room, smiling.

She took a deep breath, calming herself so she wouldn't strangle the woman, and opened the door. She walked in and took a seat, glaring at the person sitting across from her.

"Detective Beckett," the woman smiled courteously. "Nice to see you again."

"Cut the crap Amelia," Beckett growled.

"What are you talking about?" Amelia cocked her head to the side. "Oh, is this about that author getting shot? Pity, I love his books."

Beckett eyed her, "Did you know red nail polish was found at the crime scene?"

"You seem to be getting desperate," Amelia swished her long hair over her shoulder. "A lot of women wear red nail polish."

Beckett nodded, "I know that. But not a lot of women are skilled snipers whose husband was just killed in prison."

A speck of hurt crossed the women's dark eyes. "I didn't try to kill Richard Castle."

"I don't believe you," Beckett leaned forward. "Do you know what else I've noticed?"

Amelia shook her head.

"You're picking at your nail polish," Beckett gestured to the table, "and getting it all over."

Amelia looked down, slightly grimacing at the chips of red on the table.

Beckett smiled, noticing her unease. "Another interesting fact about you is that you're very tall. Exactly how tall are you?"

"Six feet," Amelia muttered.

"So you would have no problem looking out the window to shoot," Beckett silently mused. "We have enough evidence to convict you. Why don't you just confess?"

Amelia sighed. "It's your fault my husband was killed in prison. You can't blame this on me."

The door opened and Ryan and Esposito walked it, smiling in triumph at Beckett. They made Amelia stand up.

Beckett smirked as the dragon was led out of the room, slayed by the brave knights of the precinct.

* * *

Beckett stood in the hospital room doorway, watching Castle. He was staring up at the white ceiling with bored blue-gray eyes.

Beckett cleared her throat and walked in. "We got her."

Castle flinched, startled by her voice. He then raised his eyebrows. "Her?"

Beckett nodded. "Yeah, it turns someone we put away was murdered in prison and the wife wanted revenge."

"That's one twisted love story."

They stared at each other, an awkward silence blanketing the room. Castle squirmed, uncomfortable in the quiet.

"I'm sorry," he started. "I know how you get on cases like these and, well, I love you and I don't want you getting hurt."

Beckett sighed and kneeled down against Castles bed, noticing her beloved chair was nowhere to be found. "But, if you hadn't set me off, then I wouldn't have found the evidence needed to convict her."

Castle grinned, "That's true."

She grabbed his hand. "You're getting let out of the hospital today."

Castle's smile widened. "It's about time. I was wondering if I'd have to start paying rent."

She pecked his forehead. "I have one thing to ask you, before we go."

Castle cocked his head to the side and Beckett kissed him. "What's that?"

"Don't use what happened in Nikki Heat."

They both laughed and Beckett helped Castle up.

* * *

**A.N. So there it is. Enjoy? I'm thinking about writing an Epilogue...what do you guys think? **


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